


denial is only the first stage

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Awkward Crush, Blanket Fic, Denial of Feelings, Developing Relationship, Huddling For Warmth, Jealousy, M/M, Rain, Sleepy Cuddles, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 11:43:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17466929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: He isnotjealous of Valbar.





	denial is only the first stage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvilMuffins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilMuffins/gifts).



Right now, Kamui would like nothing more than to smack Leon.

It's not his fault they got caught in the rain during a supply run, rain just happens. Kamui's not _quite_ so used to it, being from the desert, but it's just nature. And it's certainly not his fault they got lost and had to duck into a dilapidated old shrine for cover.

It's not the situation itself that's pissing Kamui off, but rather who he's in it _with._ This vain, egotistical brat of a man who had the gall to insist Kamui _wanted him_ before going off on a tangent about how _perfect_ their commander was. While he'd technically walked into that one by asking Leon the question in the first place, he hadn't expected such an answer.

It's been bugging him ever since, and he's not sure why. All he knows is that he regrets ever asking Leon such a question, or even trying to make friends with him. _Clearly, the oh-so-wonderful Valbar's the only one worth his time, so why bother?_

Valbar. It always comes back to Valbar, and lately Kamui's felt twitchy and irritated every time the man talks to him. He _likes_ Valbar well enough, he's a good boss who treats them more like brothers than a sidekick and some random mercenary. Even when Kamui made it clear he was just in it for the money, Valbar didn't even flinch.

It's just the way Leon drools over the guy that pisses him off. First off, considering he's mourning his _wife,_ Kamui's pretty sure the commander's straight and he's not likely to turn the other way no matter how much Leon fawns over him. Second, it's just plain annoying to watch people swoon all the time.

_Is it? Or are you just mad that he's not swooning over you?_ Damn it, there's that stupid little voice again, the one that won't leave him alone since the first time Leon accused him of flirting. _Admit it, the moment he suggested it, you liked how it sounded._

But he's not into guys, right? He's not really into _anyone,_ Kamui's always been about the freedom and the money. Yeah, Leon's a good-looking guy, but in an aesthetic sense. Like, you can think someone's good-looking without wanting to get down their pants. People say paintings and statues are pretty, does that mean they want to fuck them?

(Okay, maybe if they wished a beautiful woman in a painting was real so they could, but still.)

But even if he _were_ into guys, Leon's not his type, right? And he's not Leon's. Leon's made it clear what _his_ type is, no one could ever measure up to their glorious leader so why even try?

_Maybe if you were taller, with bigger muscles, cared about more than just money and freedom, walked around in thick armor,_ the voice taunts, and Kamui shakes his head angrily. That's about the dumbest thing any disembodied little voice could say.

He's not jealous of Valbar. Not one bit. He's not into Leon, either.

He looks to his side to check on his companion-just to make sure he's still alive, of course. But Leon's not there. Actually, from the lack of noises or sighs, he's been gone for a while, and Kamui worries. Did he go off to try to find help himself? He's a capable archer, but he's still just one man and who knows what's crawling around this shrine?

Maybe he went to fix his hair and take a bath. Leon's the vain sort, after all.

"I'm back." His heart jumps at the sound of the voice, and a pile of wood is dumped beside what Kamui assumes is a fireplace. "Apologies if I took forever, you'd think a forest would have more branches lying about."

"Wait, _you_ went to get firewood?" Kamui raises an eyebrow. Leon gives him a Look.

"Where did you _think_ I went? There's nowhere to bathe, neither of us has a change of clothing, and it's freezing in here. I wasn't about to let us catch our death while we waited for the storm to let up." But Leon's even more soaked than before, shivering badly, and Kamui genuinely feels bad for him. Impulsively, he takes off his cloak, wrings out the remaining water, and drapes it over the other's shoulders.

"Here."

"Oh..." Leon actually sounds caught off-guard. No smart-ass remarks about Kamui hitting on him, not complaints about the worn-out state of the cloak and how long it's been since it was washed. "Thank you...but won't you be cold, now?"

"I've had time to dry off." Kamui gets up and grabs the two driest sticks, rubbing them together. "You're soaked to the skin. Let's get this started so you don't freeze to death." Or catch a cold. Leon's a pain in the ass when he's sick, but that's actually the last thing Kamui cares about right now. "Where did you get dry wood, anyway?"

"There was a whole pile of it near the entrance," Leon says with a shrug. "I doubt anyone's going to be mad at us for using it."

One of the sticks snaps in half, but the other's smoking, and when Kamui tosses it on the pile it lights up. He sits down beside Leon, watching the other rub his hands together and pull the cloak tighter around himself.

Silence. No smart remarks from Leon, Kamui can't think of anything to say, the storm and the fire's roar the only sounds for a good ten or so minutes before Leon pats the space next to him.

"Here."

"Eh?"

"They say it's good to stick close together when it's cold." Leon turns away, but not before Leon catches a faint glimpse of pink on his cheeks. "And, well...each of us is the only warm body the other has to cuddle up to, so we might as well, right?" Kamui waits for the obligatory comment about how Leon would _much_ rather cuddle with Valbar, but it never comes. Instead, he grabs a nearby blanket and throws it over both of their laps. "Here."

Leon leans against him, Kamui stifling a gasp as he feels the heat of his slender body through still-damp clothes. Without thinking, he wraps his arm around the other, and to his surprise Leon doesn't pull away. In fact, he nestles closer. And he's smiling.

_Oh, no._

"D-don't get me wrong," Leon mumbles, "you _know_ who I'd much rather snuggle up to, but...well, I'm glad you're here." He coughs. "It's better than being alone, anyway."

"Yeah." The heat creeping into Kamui's cheeks has nothing to do with the fire. At least Leon didn't say the V-word this time, even if he didn't exactly try to hide what he meant. "Yeah, this way we'll live through the night, at least."

"Yes, well." Leon yawns. "I'm going to catch a little beauty sleep. Hopefully by the time I wake up the rain will have stopped, or someone will have come to find us," he murmurs. "Make sure you get some rest, too, Kamui." There's an odd note of sincerity in his voice, not that Leon is an uncaring sort but he often sounds more flippant when it comes to most people who aren't their glorious commander.

For a moment, he dares to get his hopes up before reminding himself he's _not_ into Leon that way. _The constant Valbar chatter was annoying, it's just nice not to deal with it for once. All we're doing is keeping each other warm. That's all there is._

But Leon looks adorable as he falls asleep. Not just beautiful like a painting, _adorable._ He feels warm, _right_ under Kamui's arm, the sound of his breathing is more soothing than a rushing river or clinking coins, right now it's like they're the only two people in the world and he _likes_ that feeling.

_Shit._

Leon snuggles closer in his sleep, and Kamui wishes there was a way to smack disembodied little voices before they can start to gloat.


End file.
